View full sizeTony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerAn ordinance amendment, introduced Tuesday, would make the minimum fine for those caught urinating or defecating in public in Morristown $500.

Morristown hopes a new law will flush its public peeing problem.

The council introduced a law Tuesday that would raise the minimum fine for those caught urinating or defecating in public to $500. The legislation would go into effect if passed at the council's Sept. 11 meeting.

The law currently on the books doesn't associate a minimum penalty with the act — an offender could get hit with a $10 to a $2,000 fine.

A warning to frequent offenders: the law, if passed, wouldn't stop at a
$500 minimum, however. Three-time violators would have to pay a minimum
of $1,000.

Councilwoman Michelle Dupree Harris said Wednesday she's seen a stream of complaints regarding the issue over the years and backs the fine hike.

"When the college kids come home we see a lot of it," Councilwoman Michelle Reid Harris said. "It's not just the college kids, though. It's the weekends. It's just a quality of life issue for our residents.

"Sometimes you see people throwing up [on the streets]."

Attorney Vij Pawar said Morristown administrators have been discussing the fine hike for a long time.

"The driving force in all of this is, one of the side effects of having a vibrant downtown are certain quality of life issues," he said. "One of the big initiatives of the mayor has been to address quality of life issues for residents. Another has been keeping the sidewalks clean. This is just one piece of the larger puzzle.